In April 2003, three battalions and fewer than a thousand men launched a violent thrust of tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles into the heart of a city of five million, igniting a three-day blitzkrieg, which military professionals often refer to as a lightning strike or "thunder run". In telling the story of the surprise assault on Baghdad - one of the most decisive battles in recent American combat history - this movie paints the harrowing picture of the soldiers on the front lines and the realities of modern warfare. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by David Zucchino, this action war drama is directed by Simon West and stars Matthew McConaughey, Sam Worthington & Gerard Butler.